Art galleries

Art galleries have positively mushroomed over Dubai during the past few years. For comprehensive listings, check out wartinthecity.com, which also covers galleries in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. The (unlikely) hub of the city’s art scene was formerly the rundown industrial area of Al Quoz, off Sheikh Zayed Road, whose low rents attracted a string of gallery owners from across the Arab world, although Al Quoz is now increasingly rivalled by the dense cluster of more upmarket galleries that have sprung up in the Gate Village at the DIFC. The city also hosts two big annual arts festivals in mid-March, when Art Dubai and the Bastakiya Art Fair hit town.